Help!

[mum to 2 angels]

Ill start at the beginning. My son is 7 months old and has always been a chucky baby. My daughter was too. But my problem is he wont put on weight. He has only put on 100grams since he was 4 months old. He is 7.4kg. He doesnt seem to be in any pain and he is a really happy baby. Breastfed 3 -4 times a day 2x solids. He is also getting constipated quite often. He is allergic to lactose too. I just dont know what to do.

[RISA]

Hi Tarnya,
Gosh, I'm sure his weight must be a big concern for you. I gather he is vomiting a large amount even now for him to be not putting on weight like that? Has his weight slowed since he started on solids, or do you think that has nothing to do with his lack of weight gain?

What have the doctors said? Are they at all concerned about his weight, and if not, why not (do they say)? Is he on medication for any reflux? Does he seem to feed a decent amount?

I would be really interested to know what the doctors say about his weight. Do they think it may be because of his vomiting or perhaps from some other cause? If they aren't paying attention to your concerns, perhaps you need to keep on hassling until they offer you an explanation or opinion on why it is happening.

It's great he is such a happy baby, but I'm sure that doesn't really help you feel better.

Is it lactose he has problems with, or is it a dairy protein intolerance? Have you spoken with your doctor about that, or perhaps a dietitian? What have they suggested about that?

Sorry, I have lots of questions for you. Could the intolerance be still impacting on him, even though he is so happy? Do you use thickened feeds to help his feeds stay down? A spoonful of thickened breastmilk either before or after a breastfeed might be helpful, if you haven't tried that. Just be careful with finding a thickener, as breast milk has an enzyme in it that starts to break it down, and it may not be effective. Some of the commercial food thickeners might be better. (though it might be good to keep in mind that thickening feeds is not always the answer- it does work well for some children, but not so much for others)

I hope that has given you some ideas, but I'm not sure what to say without knowing what the doctors have said, or even if you have discussed your concerns with them. If you haven't, please do so, and keep pursuing it until you find one who pays attention to your concerns. It is so important that you trust your instincts, and keep following them

Glenda

[mum to 2 angels]

Thankyou Glenda.
He has been to the doctor and she gave me a referal for a paediatrician. He semms to feed really well. Ive always had alot of milk and he isnt in any pain feeding. He just throws up about 5 times after his feed before i put him back to bed about 2 hrs later. He isnt on any thickener. He does get constipated alot too. Im guessing thats because he is throwing up all his liquid. I have noticed that his weight has slowed down when he started solids. He throws up solid food too. The paediatrician appointment is in 2 weeks. He has never been tested for allergies but its pretty obvious. When i give hi something he is allegic too he breaks out in a huge rash straight away. So far i have noticed that happens with cows milk, goats milk, formula, chocolate ( thanks to my 2 yr old) and yoghurt. I just dont know how to help him:confused:

[RISA]

Hi Tarnya,
From what you have written, I would say that the key to all this is his food sensitivities, and I am pleased to hear you have a paediatrician's appointment coming up.

Are you aware that cow's milk protein will go through breastmilk? It would most likely be important that you are on a restricted diet while you are breastfeeding, so if nobody has talked to you about that, I'm sure that would be helpful (at least to talk to someone). If you do choose to trial a restricted diet, it is really important to talk to a doctor or dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced nutritionally.

It might also help to know that the proteins in dairy are very similar to soy (and goats milk), so there are some children who are sensitive to both.- another reason to be careful with your diet.

It can be really tough to avoid all milk products, as it is in so much of our processed foods. It can be hidden in foods under so many different names, such as whey, casein, curds, lactalbumin, milk solids etc, which can be very confusing too.

Anyway, I really hope you get answers, and you find out whether his allergies and any possible intolerances are responsible for all the vomiting, and you also find out how best to deal with that,

Glenda

[mum to 2 angels]

Very interesting. That gives me something to think about. Thankyou. I will post after the appointment with the paediatrican.:yes: